2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kurose
A Japanese surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Kurose. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kurose surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Kurose in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kurose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.9%) and Two or More Races (18.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kurose
The surname Kurose originated in Japan, likely during the late 17th or early 18th century. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Japanese words "kuro" meaning "black" and "se" meaning "back" or "ridge," possibly referring to a geographic feature or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kurose can be found in the "Kanda Shogunke Kiroku," a historical document detailing the lineage of the Tokugawa Shogunate from the late 17th century. This document mentions a Kurose Masahiro, who served as a samurai under the shogunate during that period.
In the late 18th century, a prominent Kurose family emerged in the Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture). This family produced several notable figures, including Kurose Hiromoto (1755-1819), a scholar and writer who contributed to the development of the Japanese language and literature.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the name Kurose was also associated with several samurai clans and families. One such family, the Kurose clan of Satsuma (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture), played a significant role in the region's politics and military affairs.
In the 19th century, Kurose Tenmyouji (1819-1891) was a prominent Buddhist monk and scholar of the Jodo Shinshu sect. He was renowned for his contributions to the study and interpretation of Buddhist texts.
Another notable figure was Kurose Kikuko (1878-1945), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Japan. She founded one of the country's first girls' secondary schools and played a pivotal role in promoting women's education.
Kurose Masayuki (1921-2003) was a renowned Japanese architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of modern architecture. His works, such as the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, are celebrated for their unique blend of traditional Japanese aesthetics and contemporary styles.
Throughout its history, the surname Kurose has been associated with various regions and localities within Japan, including Kyoto, Osaka, and the Kansai region, as well as the prefectures of Fukui, Kagoshima, and Tokyo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kurose
Among Census respondents with the surname Kurose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.9%) and Two or More Races (18.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kurose bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kurose surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander50.0% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino21.9% · 25
- Two or more races18.4% · 21
- White8.8% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kurose
Kurose appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,964 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,964 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 14,480 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kurose surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #146,495 | 9.0% |
| Count | 100 | 114 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kurose bearers went from 100 to 114 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 14,480 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #146,495.
FAQ
Kurose surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kurose?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Kurose. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Kurose?
Kurose ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Kurose. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kurose.
Has Kurose become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kurose went from 100 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 14 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Kurose?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kurose, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.9%) and Two or More Races (18.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kurose in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (57 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kurose appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (50.0%), Hispanic (21.9%), Two or More Races (18.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kurose (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kurose mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a place name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kurose (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Kurose?
Find out how common the surname Kurose is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.